Ultrasound Guided Vascular Access

Register early and save! Please register early and reserve your place by providing payment to avoid an additional $25 fee required for registrations given within two (2) weeks of the course.

Central venous catheterization and PICC line insertions can be difficult and can cause serious complications. Central venous cannulation (CVC) is an important procedure in the practice of emergency and critical care medicine. A PICC line is, by definition and per its acronym, a peripherally inserted central catheter, and ultrasound is rapidly becoming a tool of choice for identifying the venous anatomy needed for success. With the increasing ability of bedside ultrasound the technology has proven to reduce error and improve patient care. The Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality, the Institute of Medicine and the National Institute for Health & Clinical Excellence have all endorsed ultrasound-guided central venous cannulation (UGCVC) as a recommended practice. Given the importance of CVC it is paramount that physicians become proficient with UGCVC.

Assessing and managing superficial fluid collections using ultrasound-guided access is rapidly becoming the standard of care in many medical institutions. Basic ultrasound expertise is invaluable, but there is a whole array of ultrasound procedures that can be performed that will increase your effectiveness and diagnostic accuracy. Go beyond the basics and get the skills you need to expand your effective use of ultrasound in your clinical environment!

Participants in this course will benefit from demonstration, hands-on scanning with phantoms where the ultrasound faculty will teach you the essential skills and techniques to perform exams that make a difference in patient outcomes by demonstrating cardiac problems, deep vein thrombosis, or need for an intervention that can be done under ultrasound guidance.

Course Topics

• Venous orientation and pathology to demonstrate DVT. This topic will include the upper and lower extremities, to include the jugular, subclavian, femoral, saphenous, basilic and superficial veins of the upper extremity. Students will be taught the proper way to compress veins, and use color Doppler to evaluate areas of suspected DVT prior to inserting a line.
• Ultrasound guided procedure to included thoracentesis, and paracentesis, and central and peripheral line placement, and PICC lines will be introduced as important and time saving ways of managing critically ill patients. Hands-on practice will be offered for all topics using phantoms.
• A hands-on practice session will be conducted with phantoms to assist the student in learning the hand-to-eye coordination needed to successfully manage these procedures.

CME Credit

• “The Advanced Health Education Center is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.”
• “The Advanced Health Education Center designates this educational activity for a maximum of 8 hours AMA PRA Category I™. Physicians should claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.”

ACEP Credit

• Approved by the American College of Emergency Physicians for a maximum of 7.75 hour(s) of ACEP Category I credit.

Faculty: AHEC Staff

Dates/Location All in Houston, Texas

• May 10
• August 9
• October 11

Hours:  8am – 5pm

Fee: $635